


Precisely When They Mean To

by Junonine



Category: Dreaming of Sunshine
Genre: Gen, Peggy Sue, Silver Queen's Dreaming of Sunshine Universe, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-21
Updated: 2018-08-21
Packaged: 2019-06-30 13:44:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 4,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15752889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Junonine/pseuds/Junonine
Summary: "A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to!" - Gandalf.Written for the DoS Forums, inspired by 'Early is On Time' by Wafflelate.Short ficlets of peggy-sue Shikako and Aoba.





	1. Forum Links

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wafflelate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wafflelate/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Early Is On Time](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13078869) by [wafflelate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wafflelate/pseuds/wafflelate). 
  * Inspired by [Dreaming of Sunshine](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/53648) by Silver Queen. 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Links to the DoS forums and the original content and discussion.

Inspired by **Early Is On Time** by **Wafflelate**

**Originally posted on the DOS FFNET Forums, as per links below.**

Peggy Sue Aoba: Aoba travels back in time from the Jashin incident to the previous July

  * pg 482 #14433 [Shikako lays the seal ](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/482/Recursive-Fanfiction#166768297)by [Juno-nine](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2169256/Juno-nine)
  * pg 482 #14435 [Shikako re-merges with Gelel](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/482/Recursive-Fanfiction#166768297#166768495) by [wafflelate](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/9791355/wafflelate)
  * pg 482 #14450 [Shikako finishes up the mission](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/482/Recursive-Fanfiction#166775092) by [wafflelate](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/9791355/wafflelate)
  * pg 476 #14254 [Do Not Pass On, Do Not Receive S-Rank](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/476/#166706411) by [wafflelate](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/9791355/wafflelate)
  * pg 476 #14261[ Snippet of Inoichi reading Aoba’s memory](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/476/#166707673) by [Juno-nine](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2169256/Juno-nine)
  * Pg 542 #16260[ Aoba POV of the mind walk](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/542/Recursive-Fanfiction#168627784) by[ wafflelate](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/9791355/wafflelate)
  * pg 476 #14268 [Aoba in the days after coming back](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/476/#166709130) by [Tirfarthuan](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2419610/Tirfarthuan)
  * pg 476 #14271 [Split in the shadow of Time](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/476/#166711041) by [Snoara](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2196407/)
  * pg 476 #14278 [Tsunade PoV](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/476/#166713752) by [Juno-nine](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2169256/Juno-nine)
  * pg 477 #14281 [An Interrogation in Two Parts](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/477/#166716412) by [wafflelate](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/9791355/wafflelate)
  * pg 477 #14305 [New Sunglasses](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/477/#166721726) by [StarOfTime](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/6122440/StarOfTime)
  * pg 477 #14309 [Shikako Coming Back from Gelel](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/477/#166722132) by [Juno-nine](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2169256/Juno-nine)
  * pg 478 #14322 [Aoba sees Shikako](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/478/#166730256) by [wafflelate](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/9791355/wafflelate)
  * pg 479 #14348 [Shikako awakens](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/479/#166733888) by [Juno-nine](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2169256/Juno-nine)
  * pg 479 #14355 [Gelel Debrief](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/479/#166739847) by [wafflelate](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/9791355/wafflelate)
  * pg 480 #14382 [Land of Hot Springs Read-in, part 1](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/480/#166759208) by [wafflelate](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/9791355/wafflelate)
  * pg 484 #14500 [Land of Hot Springs Read-in, part 2](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/484/Recursive-Fanfiction#166799921) by [wafflelate](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/9791355/wafflelate)
  * pg 484 #14511 [Kakashi POV](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/484/Recursive-Fanfiction#166801289) by [wafflelate](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/9791355/wafflelate)
  * pg 484 #14760 [Tsunade debriefs Shikako](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/492/Recursive-Fanfiction#166872368) by [Juno-nine](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2169256/Juno-nine)
  * pg 498 #14912 [Team 7 visits Shikako in the hospital](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/498/Recursive-Fanfiction#166953821) by [Juno-nine](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2169256/Juno-nine)
  * pg 481 #14407 [The Truly Worst Thing About Coming Back](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/481/#166764573) by [donahermurphy](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/973954/donahermurphy)
  * pg 481 #14413 [Inoichi visiting Shikako](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/481/#166766047) by [Juno-nine](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2169256/Juno-nine)
  * pg 484 #14494 [Kakashi apologizes](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/484/Recursive-Fanfiction#166798367) by [Juno-nine](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2169256/Juno-nine)
  * pg 483 #14464 [Aoba and Shikako have tea](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/483/Recursive-Fanfiction#166778882) by [Snoara](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2196407/)
  * pg 483 #14490 [Kankurō will just have to marry her](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/483/Recursive-Fanfiction#166797557) by [Snoara](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2196407/)
  * pg 494 #14794 [Tsunade sends Jiraiya to Hot Springs](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/494/Recursive-Fanfiction#166901518) by [wafflelate](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/9791355/wafflelate)
  * pg 490 #14690 [Shikakot vs Netsui](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/490/Recursive-Fanfiction#166854919) by [Mac Ceallach](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/230982/Mac-Ceallach)
  * pg 490 #14694 [Shikako vs Muku](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/490/Recursive-Fanfiction#166855329) by [MathIsMagic](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2182427/MathIsMagic)
  * pg 490 #14697 [Tsunade watching the Grass fights](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/490/Recursive-Fanfiction#166855443) by [Tirfarthuan](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2419610/Tirfarthuan)
  * pg 490 #14700 [Shikako vs Muku](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/180237/137948546/490/Recursive-Fanfiction#166855766) by [Juno-nine](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/2169256/Juno-nine)




	2. Shikako lays the seal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikako creating the seal in the Temple of Jashin that causes her and Aoba to time travel. 
> 
> Dreaming of Sunshine (Land of Hot Springs Arc: Chapter 129)

"Your problem," Shikako spits, dying and injured and enraged, "is that you think true power lies in blood."

She knows true power. True power is the bite of a sword through the chest, of light, a god made of the world around it, so massive and alien that still _loved_. That spread life in it's footsteps. True power is the hand that reaches for you, despite all that. True power is the will to let go. To be _human._

Shikako wants to go home.

She thinks about the sun, jumping in the sky. She thinks about Konoha, untouched and far away from here. The Konoha of her memories, three days past, that exists only before they set out on this mission.

She thinks about Naruto, making memories into Shadow Clones and sending them alone. Thinks about ghosts wandering around without bodies, will power walking the earth. Thinks about Konoha's heroes, the Yellow Flash bending time-and-space and winning.

She thinks _backwards._ She thinks _rewind_. She thinks _home._

She spits out the seal, like bullets made of blood. **忍愛之剣**

And the world twists.


	3. Snippet of Inoichi Reading Aoba's Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba reports in to the Hokage and is required to undergo mind reading with Inoichi Yamanaka.

The problem with Holding-Door-Mind-Transmission as a technique is that no one remembers memories as separate events.

Memories aren't photographs. They're not flat, static images to be looked at from a distance.

There are _links_. Concepts and connections, things tied together with implications.

Aoba is very good at following the links, letting them build into the bigger picture. It's why he's a good intelligence officer. It's why he's so good at this technique.

It does pose a small problem, though. When Inoichi sits down and wants to focus on 'the next few days'... well.

Aoba thinks about Shikako's mission. He thinks about the bar where he saw her scar. He thinks about being assigned a kohai and perusing her files. He thinks about Danzo undermining the Hokage and the fuss that Shikamaru Nara kicked up at the gate, according to Yukio who heard it from Izumo-

These things are the shape of his memory.

He thinks about the scar on her back and her voice saying, cheerfully, 'through and through' and-

\- he thinks about the priests staff, hammering into her stomach. He thinks about her wide eyes, her hair coming loose around her face. She looks so young. She's crying.

Inoichi slams the jutsu shut. He's pale, shaking. He reaches under the desk and pulls out the rubbish bin - affectionately called the 'vomit bucket' for exactly this reason - and throws up.

Inoichi has been a mind reader all his life. He has a strong stomach. He's probably seen worse than this before. But.

Shikako Nara is the daughter of his best friend. Shikako Nara is the best friend of his daughter. She might as well be family.

Aoba tries to blank his mind. His hand curls around his neck. It's still whole. "Sorry," he rasps. "Skipped ahead a bit."


	4. Tsunade POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsunade's POV of Aoba reporting time travel (and a digression into mind reader culture).

Tsunade hates the fact that the best possible explanation of this situation is just that one of her ninja has snapped and gone crazy.

Unfortunately, that's also the least likely explanation. Yamashiro had seemed stressed but not unduly paranoid or dissociated, wasn't exhibiting any signs that stuck out in her healers mind as _symptoms_.

By the time reports start flooding in from outposts - of an invasion, of some kind of bright flash of light in the west, of a _forest_ \- she's already taken action and sent a hawk to Kakashi to divert him to pick up his students. He was due home shortly, anyway, and she suspects this is something he won't be late for.

Prevention is worth more than a cure, after all. If Yamashiro is wrong, is lying, is compromised, they haven't lost anything. If he's right... its better to act.

Neither Inoichi or Ibiki seem perturbed to be called in to work with him - regard him as a good, solid, special jounin - and Yamashiro seems mostly relieved to see them in turn.

There's something /funny/ about ninja that specialize in mind jutsu - about they way they trade memories as easily as a good book or a favourite recipe. As if the mind is not an inviolate safe haven, of secret hopes and thoughts and dreams.

Dan's spiritual jutsu wasn't the same, not really, but it wasn't so far off in a way. He used to talk about leaving his body as easily as he would talk about going for a walk, as though there were some 'Dan' that existed separate from his body.

Tsunade isn't like that. There is no 'Tsunade' that does not wear her skin and bones. There is no 'Tsunade' is not her scars and calloused hands. That is not her strength or her healing.

It's not something Tsunade can really understand. She's grateful to them, for their service to Konoha, for how useful an ability it is, but she would never want to be on the receiving end of those skills.


	5. Shikako coming back from Gelel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikako, following the activation of the time travel seal.   
> Shikako seeing Aoba without his glasses and having a flashback / assuming he was a ghost.

Gelel burns Jashin out.

That's what it feels like, anyway. Chronologically it doesn't make much sense, but what does chronology matter? Jashin is creeping into her head and then Gelel is there, burning her up, turning her into a star and light and life and love - things that are _real._ It's so much easier to reach out, to find Shikamaru and Naruto and Gaara and the trees and earth and water when she knows what a gift it is.

But Shikako doesn't actually expect to be _there._ She opens her eyes and expects to see blood. To see the altar. To see Aoba and the priests - maybe her last ditch seal won, maybe she became Gelel again, maybe maybe-

\- but she isn't. It isn't.

She doesn't understand. And she's so tired.

Shikamaru hovers, wide eyed and frightened and she can't remember the words to this dance. Can't remember what to say to make things okay. Her mind is blackened, burnt thing, too full of fear and horror. Just because the things its shying away from are gone, doesn't mean she's okay.

She _tries_ , though. They're on a mission. She has to _try._

Kakashi-sensei meets them on the way home, shoulders stiff and skin tight around his eye.

This didn't happen before. Last time? In the dream-memory-future- _what the fuck ever-_

She doesn't know what it means.

It means they don't have to see Danzo, is what it means. It means sensei carries her piggyback style, right into the hospital and Tsunade's waiting arms.

Which. Good. Probably. She's not sure she could stand there and face Danzo again. She thinks if she opens her mouth, for anything at all, she might just start screaming and never stop.

She's so tired. If she has time to rest, to stop, to _think_ maybe she can sort this out.

But there is no rest. Tsunade asks and prods and pokes and takes the Gelel stone from her chest ( _again_ ) and asks and asks. More and more questions she never asked last time. Broad, open ended things. _is there anything you want to tell me?_

"I don't know, I don't know," Shikako pleads. She's suffocating. There's a clock on the wall that keeps ticking the seconds away. She just needs a little bit of _space._

But then the doors open and her family is all charging in, and Naruto is there, loud and abrasive _hey hey Shikako-chan_ and Kakashi-sensei is there ( _he was alone last time he held her hand why is this different_ ) and-

-behind them all is Aoba. She didn't know him before Intel. None of her family looks at him; like he's not even there. His glasses are off. His hand is clamped around his neck _ ~~is there blood?~~_ He's staring straight at her.

_the light fades from his eyes_

Phantom blood fills her mouth and turns her stomach. She retches, someone providing a bowl under her chin and someone is screaming and oh, that's her. She was right after all.

Once she starts screaming it's _really hard to stop_.


	6. Shikako Awakens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikako awakens after surgery and talks to Aoba

 

Shikako stirs awake slowly but with determination, several hours ahead of Tsunade's guestimate.

Aoba isn't even surprised.

He watches her eyelids move, feels her hand twitch in his own. He rubs a thumb soothingly over the back of it, for both their sakes.

Shikako peels her eyes open, the quick-flick-assessment of a field shinobi to the room around them. They land on him and dart past, so fast he's not sure she even saw him.

She looks _tired_ but there's that steely energy, the kind he's felt before of mid-mission-exhaustion, of in-enemy-territory-recovery, when you aren't sure if things are safe, if you need to get up and go.

"It's- safe," he says, fumbling. "We're in Konoha Hospital. You're okay."

Her eyes flick over his face, to his neck. He touches it self-conciously under her gaze.

Her fingers flex in his hand, individually - one, two,threefourfive - like she expects each one to return a different result.

"Ah," she says, and sits up, slowly, leaning against the frame. "Well, that was embarrassing."

Aoba blinks. "I don't think- I don't think anyone is going to hold it against you." He's thankful that she seems calmer, though, rational thought back on line.

She coughs. There's a jug of water and a glass on the bedside table and he pours a drink, one handed. Neither of them have let go.

"You aren't wearing your glasses," she rasps, out of nowhere. Except not because she continues. "I thought you were a ghost."

That... puts things into a mildly different light.

"Oh," he says, blinking. "No. I'm alive. You're alive. We're both. Alive. Just eleven months in the past."

She reaches up to her own neck - no, not quite as high, to the necklace that she isn't wearing. He can't recall ever seeing her without it. "Right. That. Makes sense."

"I've already filled Tsunade-sama in," he says, and she looks up sharply at that. "She'll probably want you to confirm everything though. Maybe with Inoichi?"

He doesn't think it's a big deal - and surely the Nara are familiar enough with Yamanaka jutsu that she wouldn't either - except she draws back sharply with a flash of fear across her face, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"No, no," she stutters. "I- no. He can't." She presses the heel of her free hand into her eye, like she has a migrane.

He should probably call a nurse.

"It was in my head," she says, suddenly. "Jashin. Gel- the other one. I don't. I can't. I don't want anyone else in there. It hurts."

Aoba flinches. Tsunade, eleven months from now, would probably take Shikako's word for it - had clearly trusted his kohai enough to assign them that mission in the first place, classification level and all. Tsunade now...

There are eleven whole months of information that could make or break Konoha. Aoba knows a lot of it, but Shikako will know a whole lot more. Two perspectives are twice as good.

"I could teach you the technique," he says, slowly. Will it be enough, if he puts the control back in her own hands? It's not _just_ his technique, nor his only one, but it still feels odd to make the offer. "So you can control what you show them."

Shikako swallows. She looks down, like she's ashamed or guilty. "Maybe," she murmurs.

Ninja have made whole careers out of maybe, Aoba thinks. He can work with that.


	7. Tsunade Debriefs Shikako

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsunade debriefs Shikako; and explanation of Gelel and Hot Springs.

By the time Tsunade gets back to the hospital she's _tired_. It has been a very long day - between wrangling the impossible (time travel), cleaning up after gods and arguing with every single person in Konoha about the River Country Invasion, she really just wants to call it a day.

Despite that, she pauses outside the hospital room and takes a minute to center herself. There are times when irritated, be-sensible-right-now bedside manner works. It's generally _not_ when the patient is actually on the edge of a breakdown or, actually, has just had one.

Luckily, assigning Aoba to watch Shikako seems to have been the right call. There is no more screaming. Both of her current problem ninja seem well enough - Inoichi looks horribly frustrated, though.

"Tsunade-sama!"

Nara holds still for a brief examination, seeming markedly less worried than either of the other two ninja in the room. There doesn't seem to be any complications which is excellent.

"Now," Tsunade says. "Let's get everything settled."

This is where the source of Inoichi's frustration becomes apparent.

"Sorry, Tsunade-sama," Shikako Nara says, somewhat sheepishly. "I know you send Inoichi-oji to debrief me, but Tsunade-sama classified everything as Hokage's-eyes-only. So, um. Until you clarify _specifically_ what people are being read in on, I can't tell them."

Tsunade considers her headache, and then considers how much more Shikako Nara might know, being at ground zero for both events.

"Alright, everyone out," she says, clapping her hands together. "We'll do another read-in later. Tomorrow."

Shikako fidgets as they leave, hand going to her neck in a similar move to Aoba's new tick. Tsunade hopes it doesn't mean the same thing to her.

"Um," she says. "First though... can I have the stone back?"

Of all the things she didn't expect...

"The stone?" Tsunade repeats. "The one that killed you?"

The girl looks genuinely startled. "Killed-? oh, of course Aoba heard about that. And told- oh, no wonder Kakashi-sensei was so upset. You didn't tell him I was dying, did you?" she looks reproachful. "It didn't kill- Uh. Naruto and Shikamaru had to tell you about the people we fought, right? How they could transform and heal? The stones perform a kind of energy transmutation-"

She gives a pretty detailed and technical explanation, which is practically evidence that she's been studying it for eleven months or so, not that Tsunade needs any more evidence that the future is real.

"-for me it mimics my clan techniques, allowing me to perform an A-rank transformation jutsu," Nara continues, undeterred. "The problem was that, being in my chakra gate, I was obligatorily using it any time that I tried to channel chakra. When Danzo waylaid us to debrief, I accidentally tried to control my responses with chakra, activating the transformation, which I attempted to hide because yknow, we hadn't been debriefed and I wasn't sure if he was supposed to know about it because it seemed like a thing we didn't want people to get their hands on-"

And that raises more problems that Tsunade hadn't even considered for herself.

"-and that's when Tsunade-sama, I mean, when you - when Tsunade-sama in that timeline, arrived. Shikamaru couldn't find my pulse because I was, yknow, partially made out of shadow at the time and he'd made a massive fuss about injuries at the gate, so we just ran with that explanation. And it let Tsunade-sama yell at Danzo a lot. Which she liked."

Nara takes a deep breath. "Yeah. So. That. The stone is harmless. Benefitial, actually."

Tsunade sighs, letting out a very long and controlled breath. "I didn't think you could make a complicated thing even more complicated. But congratulations, you've done it."

"Sorry," Nara says.

Tsunade tries to sort out a response to the deluge of information. "You can have it back once it's been analysed, but I want an official assessment to prove that it's safe and does what you say."

"I'd prefer if it's not a registered technique," Shikako says. "It's been a pretty good trump card and-"

"We'll sort it out later," Tsunade says, vaguely, not promising anything. "Shikaku and I, minimum. That's not up for discussion," she adds, mildly. "I'm not in the habit of giving my ninja things that will injure them."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Nara says, though not happily.

"Now, what happened out there?"

Tsunade really wishes she had a drink. Shikako did have far more information about the state of affairs in Wind than her brother or teammate and none of it was reassuring. Gods and ancient civilizations and _black holes_.

And the information about Hot Springs was no better.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I only meant to go back three or four days!" Nara says, defensively. "But I think Gelel was too much of a draw. Like a magnet pulling another magnet- something like that. I don't know. I was working on a bit of a deadline!"


	8. Team 7 visits Shikako in hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Sevens reactions aren't quite like other peoples reactions upon hearing about time travel.

Team Sevens reactions aren't quite like other peoples reactions upon hearing about time travel.

-

"Baa-chan said its secret and we can't really ask you about it," Naruto starts, directly in opposition to basically ever directive he was given - though managing to stick to the letter of the law.

Sasuke punches him in the shoulder. "Idiot," he hisses. "You aren't _supposed_ to ask about it."

Shikako smothers a grin. "But do I know any cool jutsu?" she finishes.

"Yeah!" Naruto cheers. "Or do _I_ know any cool jutsu? Come on, just a hint~" he wheedles.

Despite his protests, Sasuke doesn't manage to disguise his own anticipation either.

Shikako shrugs. "Sure." Jutsu aren't events, actions or _feelings_ so therefore can't possibly be off limits. There's nothing wrong with teaching her team techniques they would have learnt anyway.

That's her excuse and she's sticking to it.


	9. Inoichi visits Shikako

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inoichi attempts to debrief Shikako, she claims things are classified.

Inoichi is prepared for a lot of things when he heads to the hospital.

General trauma. _Specific_ trauma. Screaming. ( _She was screaming_ Shikamaru had said at the briefing, and that wasn't promising. Inoichi could remember - couldn't _forget_ \- Aoba's memories of how badly their mission had gone. _Screaming_ seemed like a logical outcome.)

He doesn't expect laughter.

"Oh come on!" Aoba groans, overly dramatic. "You can't just-"

Shikako isn't smirking but she is very clearly wearing her faux-innocent 'I am enjoying winding you up' face. "But senpai," she's saying earnestly. "That's _classified._ "

Shizune, accompanying him through the security wards, looks bemused.

Both ninja in the room look up in a professional greeting when they enter and Inoichi takes a quick moment to asses them. Aoba hasn't been _edgy_ over the past few days - beyond the expected anyway - but he does seem markedly calmer. Shikako... seems like Shikako.

Inoichi wonders how much she remembers. Well, he's about to find out.

He smiles, fatherly and calm. "Hey, kid. I'm glad to see you're okay. Tsunade has read me in, so I'm here to do a quick initial debriefing."

Her hand twists uneasily in the sheets of the hospital bed and she flicks a quick look at Aoba. "On the mission from July?" She asks, which is... an impressive way to ask that gives nothing away.

If Inoichi _didn't_ know what was going on, it would mean nothing to him. He notes it down as a point of evidence that she _does_ remember, right alongside her familiarity with Aoba.

"Yes," he says. "And also the one that you just returned from."

"That's classified," she says, with the kind of automatic response of someone who has definitely deflected more than one question about what happened.

"I've been read in," he says, patiently.

Her gaze flickers around the room. "On how much?" She wonders. "No offense, but I think I need Tsunade-sama to confirm that."

Inoichi is well, yes, surprised. He's dealt with recalcitrant ninja before - it's part of being Intel. He's dealt with ninja that have _rightfully_ identified information as secretive enough to need the Hokage. He just didn't expect it to come from Shikaku's daughter.

He passes over the written authorisation. "Hokage-sama _has_ said," he points out.

Shikako barely even looks at it. "It was S-ranked," she clarifies. "Some parts of it were verbal only - no information recorded, no reports written. I can't countermand that without a direct order, and I'm not totally convinced that Tsunade can offer that if I don't report to her first." She shrugs, like 'what can you do'.

Inoichi blinks. "Okay," he says, slowly, because that's _technically_ correct. "Let's just cover the ... Hot Springs Incident, then."

 


	10. Kakashi Appologises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kakashi - seeing Shikako start screaming when she saw Aoba - attacks, then feels guilty about it when the reasons are explained.

I really wanted to explore Kakashi's guilt in regards to attacking Aoba. Because that seems like it would be a thing.

Also, it's in second person because uh. reasons. No one recriminates Kakashi quite like Kakashi.

-

This time you've really done it, haven't you?

Cold Blooded Kakashi. _Friend Killer Kakashi._

But you've always had the truth. Always known that it wasn't – it wasn't meant to be like that. There were extenuating circumstances.

The words had stung, but they hadn't been _true._

And now you've done it. You attacked a fellow Konoha ninja. In front of the Hokage, no less. A comrade, a _friend_ , a ninja who is clearly more loyal than you-

And you don't even have reason. You had suspicion and panic and the need to _do_ something and so you did the worst possible thing. As you do. Are you even surprised?

And in hindsight – _hindsight_ , always in hindsight – it doesn't even make any sense. You like Aoba. You trust him. You've been on missions with nothing but Aoba's information rattling in your brain, telling you where danger is lurking.

How can you even begin to apologise for that? You don't do apologies, is the thing. The words don't mean anything and there's nothing you can _do._ You can't un-attack him. You've got nothing he needs, don't know of anything he wants, nothing like leaving training gear for Gai when you've been a little too much of a dick.

You're stuck.

But you can't just leave it.

(So you break into his apartment – again. That's just original flavour Kakashi annoyance.)

Aoba flinches. His hand twitches upwards, towards his neck, then is forced down. "Kakashi."

 _Don't show weakness_ , is what that move says. And you can put two and two together about what it means. 'I'm not scared of you' he'd said, last time you'd both been here, and he hadn't been. Annoyed, a little worried, sure. But he'd known you'd never attack a comrade. He hadn't been _scared._

And what had you gone and done?

"Aoba," you say. "So. That's a thing." You don't look at him. You don't even really sound like you're talking about anything important. It's the only way you know how to deal with something like this. To just… make it not be important.

"It's a thing," he agrees. "Also, I _still_ can't give you any more information about it."

"I know," you say. "The Hokage covered it."

The silence is very definitely awkward. You put your hands in your pockets.

 _How's the neck?_ Sounds too much like a threat and you don't know how else to obliquely reference strangling someone. In an apologetic sense. Funny enough, it doesn't come up a lot in your life.

"Good thing Shikaku was there, right?" You say, which is as close as you can get.

_Good thing there was someone there to stop me. Good thing Shikaku is smarter, thinks a little longer before he acts._

Aoba doesn't stop himself touching his throat this time. "Oh for sure," he says. "I'm going to leave mystery sake coupons all over his desk."

That… doesn't actually sound like a bad plan. You make a note, in case of future apologies.

But Aoba isn't an idiot and he _knows_ you. Maybe too well. So he must get what he needs to say – or he's content to use your guilt for his own ends. It's the same in the end.

"You," he says, "definitely owe me a drink. All the drinks. And you're paying for them." He seems to consider, then smiles, teeth gleaming. "Actually, Friday at Shinjuku. You're going to be on time and I'm going to win a _massive_ bet."

You scoff and pull out Icha Icha, but the relief pools almost sour in your gut. Such a little thing. "You'd be lucky," you say.

-

(On Friday, you're there. Not on time. Early. Because Kakashi Hatake is nothing if not an ornery bastard. You've ordered two drinks and one is empty by the time Aoba shows up.

It's all about the look.

He does seem surprised to see you. Maybe because you're early, or maybe because you're _here_ at all and he wasn't really sure. The other special jounin cluster around him, Anko and Genma and all the rest and go dead silent at the sight of you.

You push the glass an inch to the side, towards Aoba, and fix him with a look. "You're late," you say with the most serene attitude you can muster.

 _Priceless_. You love doing that to people.

He splutters. The rest of them seem too gobsmacked to talk. Excellent. "Well, this has been fun," you say, faux light so they know it really wasn't. You pay, and leave.

Done.

You can hear Anko's voice trailing after you. "No way. What the hell Aoba. What do you have on him? Please tell me it's embarrassing childhood photographs."

Aoba laughs at her. "Like I would tell you," he says, gleefully. "Now pay up.")

 


	11. Shikako vs Muku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Grass Chunin Exams - Fight with Muku.  
> Shikako uses her orb barrier seals to put Muku in a hamster ball, instead of making herself a target for defeating the Kantokusha jutsu.

However easy it would be to just work around the Kantokusha jutsu, it really had created more problems than it had solved

She'd like to avoid the kidnapping this time, if she can.

So yeah. All she has to do is not be touched and not create any technique that leaves a connection between for his jutsu to capitalise on.

There are _so many_ directions she could go with that. But she'd like to keep all the big guns for her next match with Gaara so-

 _'Now for the seal I prepared earlier'_ she thinks in her best cooking show host voice.

A seal on the handle of a kunai, thrown high enough to sail over his head - he doesn't even look at it.

One handseal and it becomes a spherical barrier seal, trapping him inside, and one foot applied to the outside sends the whole thing soaring out of bounds.

 _'Please keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times'_ , she thinks to herself. _'That's totally not the intended use of that seal_.'


End file.
